


The Phoenix or the Flame

by galaxiesinhereyes



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Blood Magic, Canon-Typical Violence, Elemental Magic, Magical Triad, Multi, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Threesome - F/M/M, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-21
Updated: 2018-02-11
Packaged: 2019-02-17 19:39:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13083978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/galaxiesinhereyes/pseuds/galaxiesinhereyes
Summary: Hermione Granger has a secret: she's in love with two men, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, and she doesn't know which one she likes better. Perhaps the gift of a Time-Turner in a life-or-death situation and a fresh start as James Potter's twin sister will help her reach her decision. Rated Mature for swearing and lemons in later chapters.





	1. Unrequited Love—Or Not

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hello, everyone, and welcome to my new story. I know, I know...the plot is cliché, to say the least, but I love it so! Anyway, I'll babble more at the bottom. 
> 
> Disclaimer: If you recognize anything, it's probably not mine. Or maybe it is mine and someone else stole it. Every think of it that way? Lol.

Hermione sat on her rickety bed in her small bedroom at 12 Grimmauld Place. She didn't want to go downstairs, for fear of embarrassing herself by blushing every time she caught her crush's eye.

Sirius Orion Black.

His initials were SOB, but he wasn't. He was a prankster, a Marauder, and Hermione's crush of two years. He was also the only adult who treated her as an equal; everyone else refused to let her into the Order meetings, which annoyed her to no end. She was the most mature teenager they'd ever met—why couldn't she listen in?

Hermione knew it would never work; he was in his thirties, and she turned sixteen in less than a week. She wasn't even a legal adult yet.

Harry pokes his head into her room. "Hermione, come down. You've been holed up in here for days, for Merlin's sake! It's almost your sweet sixteen; come partying with us!"

Ron's head appeared too. "Yeah, 'Mione, come on. You haven't been out of the house for a week!"

Hermione shook her head glumly. "You guys go ahead," she said, flopping backwards onto the bed, throwing her arm across her eyes. "I don't feel like it."

She knew she was being cowardly, but what was she supposed to do? She had a crush on her best friend's godfather, for crying out loud! It was no wonder she didn't want to face anyone.

Suddenly, the entire house was at her door.

"Aww, come on, 'Mione!" Fred and George Weasley said in perfect unison.

"Wotcher, Hermione." Tonks. "You look terrible. You know what will fix that? A day out."

"Hermione Jean Granger, you get down here right this instant!" Molly's voice echoed around the house, and everyone jumped.

Hermione sighed. "I really don't feel like it," she protested weakly.

Then the man of her dreams appeared in her doorway, dressed in tight pants, a ripped black t-shirt, and a black leather jacket with numerous zippers.

Really, Hermione? Man of your dreams?

"Please?" Sirius gave her his best puppy eyes. He had picked up on her feelings, and thought her quite a nice girl, with a good figure and a brain that actually worked. In fact, had she been legal, he would have swooped in and risked his hide, as Molly Weasley would probably have given him the tanning of his life.

Hermione really couldn't say no to that adorable face, so she sighed and shooed everyone out of her room.

"Wear something fancy!" Ginny said, slipping in. She and Hermione had always been friends, but over the past year, they had become even closer. Hermione had confessed her crush on Sirius, and Ginny admitted that she'd been in love with Harry ever since she first saw him.

"I don't do fancy," Hermione said haughtily, looking down her nose at the redhead. The girls both laughed, and Ginny pulled something out from behind her back.

"Try it on," Ginny exclaimed. Hermione dragged her shirt over her head and stepped out of her jeans. She didn't usually care what she wore, because to everyone else, she was just nerdy Hermione Granger, know-it-all.

She wanted to make Sirius see that she could clean up nicely. She stepped into the pool of cloth on the floor and pulled it up. "Gin, can you zip me up?" She asked, turning around.

Ginny tugged the zipper up, and Hermione looked at herself in the mirror. The dress was red and knee-length, and it hugged the curves she had gained over the summer, which she usually hid underneath baggy shirts and loose pants. The color complimented her tan skin, and her much more manageable hair fell to the middle of her back in ringlets.

She turned, and saw Ginny, who was dressed in a black pencil skirt that fell mid-thigh, and a flowing, white crop-top with long sleeves. She wore high heels that matched the color of her hair perfectly.

"Wow, Ginny, Harry's going to freak when he sees you!"

Hermione slipped on the same shoes as Ginny, and they headed down the stairs together. They earned cat-calls from Harry, Remus, Tonks, and Sirius.

"Looking good, girls!" Harry whistled appreciatively, although he only had eyes for Ginny.

Sirius gave Hermione a once-over. She had a great body, he had to admit that, but she was less than half his age. He was middle-aged, scruffy, and a player. What would a young, pretty girl like Hermione be doing with a dog like him?

"Um, yes, indeed," he mumbled. Hermione's face fell, but she quickly replaced it with a grin. Ginny could tell it was fake, so she stepped away from Harry and whispered in Hermione's ear.

"Let's go have fun, and you can flirt with some guys. Make him jealous."

Hermione brightened, and her grin became real and mischievous. She looked around. Everyone who was going had dressed up: Tonks wore a simple white dress, and the guys all wore jeans and tight shirts. Ron had really grown up over the summer; he had filled out, a lot of his freckles had disappeared, and his face had lost most of the boyish chub.

She sidled over to him and looked up through her lashes. "Would you care to escort me, kind sir?" Hermione asked, holding her arm out. He took it like a gentleman, and Molly watched the perfect duo with satisfaction.

"Aren't they wonderful together?" She asked proudly.

Sirius clenched his fists, but held his tongue. It wouldn't do to get jealous. Calm down, he told himself. But he couldn't. She was just too perfect, and she liked him.

Remus observed Sirius; his fists were tightly and he looked like he was chewing the inside of his cheek. He knew that Sirius liked Hermione, and he knew that seeing her with the youngest Weasley boy was difficult. After all, Ron was her age, while Sirius was nearly twenty years her senior.

He liked Hermione too, but he could hide his feelings until Myna came back.

And suddenly he remembered exactly what Myna had said.


	2. A Talk With Remus

And he suddenly remembered exactly what Myna had said.

Remus recalled Myna's words, from so long ago. "One day, perhaps, you should give a girl the best present of all time. The chance to relive things that many have thought to be over and done with. The gift of time itself."

Myna had been the twin sister of James. Remus, along with the other Marauders, had doted on her. James was very overprotective of his sister, even though she'd been sorted into Slytherin. It had taken a while to get over his petty, childish hatred of all Snakes, but he had finally seen that Myna was the same person she had always been; the same girl who had been with him through thick and through thin. Myna had had to remind him that their own mother had been Slytherin.

She was actually very un-Slytherin-like, though. She was brave like a Gryffindor, loyal as a Hufflepuff, and clever like a Ravenclaw. She was, however, cunning like the house she had been sorted into, so he supposed it was somewhat correct.

She was her parents' treasure. Their darling.

Then, one day, Myna just... disappeared. Gone. No one had ever seen her again. Not that they hadn't searched.

Oh, how they searched!

Their darling Myna-bird. She had been flighty, always fluttering from place to place, but when she got to know people, she settled down. He and Sirius had been the first people she had trusted other than her brother.

And it was almost time to do what she had made them promise to do, all those years ago.

"Come on, 'Mione, he didn't say anything bad about your dress," Ginny said. The youngest Weasley sat on her twin bed across from Hermione's, who was currently lying face-down in her pillow. They had come back early from a night of clubbing, and Hermione was moping because Sirius hadn't complimented her or anything.

Hermione sat upright. "But he didn't say anything good about it, either!"

Ginny got up and plopped down on Hermione's bed. "'Mione, do you think you could talk to Prof—Remus about your crush? I mean, he did grow up with the man."

Hermione thought about it. "I guess..." she said doubtfully. "But do you really think he'd listen and not mock me for liking a guy over twice my age?"

The redhead nodded. "I think he would," she answered solemnly. "He listened—really listened—when I went to him about Harry. If he listens to a second-year, he should listen to you."

"Thanks, Gin," Hermione said gratefully. "You're the best friend ever."

Hermione walked down the hall and paused outside Professor Lupin's door. He hadn't mentioned anything about her being on a first-name basis, so she continued to think of him as Professor.

She knocked softly. "Professor Lupin?"

Remus opened the door. "Hermione! What can I do for you?" He opened the door further and allowed her to step inside.

"I was, um, wondering if you could talk to me about...something. I wouldn't want to bother you, so if you're busy—"

"Oh, no, I have plenty of time for my favorite student," he said. "Come right in."

Hermione looked around the room curiously. It was simple, with plain white walls, a few chairs, a desk, a window, and a bed. It was decorated with a few framed literary quotes on the dresser and walls, which she immediately walked over to and read.

"I loved her against reason, against promise, against peace, against hope, against happiness, against all discouragement that could be." *

"Without you in my arms, I feel an emptiness in my soul. I find myself searching the crowds for your face—I know it's an impossibility, but I cannot help myself." **

"Come back. Even as a shadow, even as a dream." ***

"These are my favorite quotes," Remus said quietly from Hermione's shoulder. "The ones that I thought most applied to my life."

"You lost a love?" Hermione asked.

His eyes grew dreamy. "Yes, I did. She was special to all of us Marauders, and we loved her as our extended family—Pack, if you will."

"What was her name?" Questioned Hermione. "If you don't mind telling me, that is."

He looked into her eyes—so like hers. "Her name was Myna," he said in such a low voice that Hermione had to strain her ears to hear him. "Myna Altaira Potter." ****

Hermione was surprised. "You mean, she was James's cousin or something?"

Remus shook his head. "She was his sister, his twin."

"What was she like?"

Remus looked at the young witch that was his darling Myna embodied. "She was compassionate, kind, intelligent... Merlin, but she studied hard! You're actually a bit like her."

Lie.

Hermione was his Myna, not that she knew it, yet.

"Really?" Hermione asked eagerly. "In what way?"

"Well, she was always in the library, studying or helping younger students. Sirius usually helped for money and always complained about it, but Myna did it for free, and she genuinely seemed to enjoy it.

"Myna was pretty without even trying, with jet-black hair like her mother, and curls like her father, although slightly more tamed, and silver-grey eyes that are the feature of the Blacks. She got that from her mother, who was a Black before marrying Charlus Potter. She never let her looks make her mean or petty; on the contrary, she tried to tone them down.

Remus smiled sadly. "Every time Sirius or I are around you, it's like a blast from the past. You act so much like her... but you aren't her."

Lie.

"And I don't suppose that you or Sirius are over her yet, are you? Now that I know about... Myna... I realize that Sirius isn't looking at me because he has a crush on me, too; it's because he thinks I look like his lost sweetheart."

She winced when she realized that she had inadvertently admitted to liking Sirius. She watched Remus closely and let out a relieved breath when he didn't appear to have caught her secret. He had, though.

"Actually, 'Mione...there's something that's not true in that sentence. You see, Myna wasn't just Sirius' sweetheart—she sort of belonged to all of us."

A/N: Dun, dun, dun! Did you see that coming? Hope you're enjoying the story so far. Leave a review if you are!

* — Great Expectations, Charles Dickens

** — Nicholas Sparks

*** — Euripides

**** — Altaira is a feminine version of Altair, which is the brightest star in Aquila. I was going to make Myna's middle name be Aquila, but then I remembered that Black names are stars, not constellations. I know, she's a Potter, not a Black, but I thought maybe Dorea would want to have a bit of her old family.

Anyway, Aquila is the Eagle constellation. Altair means 'Flying Eagle' in Arabic, and Altaira means 'Bird and High-Flying.' (You'll understand in the next chapter.)

I apologize for any mistakes.

~ Via

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: You can find this story at FF.net under Divergent4Everdeen, or at Wattpad under ViaVickyRocks. Constructive criticism and reviews are welcomed and appreciated!


	3. Myna Altaira Potter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione learns about herself...um, I mean, Myna.

_"Actually, 'Mione...there's something that's not true in that sentence. You see, Myna wasn't just Sirius' sweetheart—she sort of belonged to all of us."_

_September 14th, 1995_

Silence.

"Wait...you mean, you all slept with her?" It was hard for Hermione to keep the incredulity out of her voice.

Remus sighed and sat on the edge of his bed. He patted the space next to him, and Hermione crossed the room and perched next to him.

"She was never as close to Peter as she was to the rest of us, but she was friends with him. Although that's not saying much, because she was friends with everybody. And James...well, being his sister, she didn't have sex with him, but he comforted her if she had nightmares and they often shared the same bed."

"Tell me more about her," Hermione begged, wanting to hear about the mysterious girl who had captured Sirius', Remus', James', and Pettigrew's heart (if Pettigrew even had one). "If she and James were...sleeping together, didn't Lily get jealous? Even if they were twins?"

Remus laughed softly. "Oh, she did," he recalled fondly. "If I remember correctly, when James asked Lily if she was jealous about his relationship with Myna, Lily threatened to hex his balls off, permanently flatten his hair, turn his skin green and silver, and perpetually Transfigure him into a girl. Poor guy was shaking in his dragonskin boots by the time she'd finished ranting. In our sixth and seventh years, Lily kinda hated Myna, because she was James' sister and she was afraid Myna was more important to him.

"Myna was James's darling twin sister. He adored her. In his eyes, she could do no wrong. Her full name was Myna Altaira Potter. We met her and James on the train in our first year, and she always was way more mature than us, even though she was the younger of the two. She could prank better than all of us combined, though.

"Myna was sorted into Slytherin, and, though we protested a lot, she made a wonderful addition to their ranks. She was cunning and clever, and always had the best ideas. Like I said, she wiggled her way into the Marauder inner circle, and she became our fifth Marauder. James hurt her a lot for the first few months, and she found comfort in the arms of her fellow housemates. We all hated Snakes, and it took a while for us to see that there was a kind, compassionate girl behind that cold, sneering facade.

"It took Sirius the longest to get to know the real Myna. He didn't like her very much to begin with. He hated all Slytherins, even his best mate's twin sister. This continued until he pranked her in DADA. He jinxed her wand in the middle of a fight, and she ended up in the hospital wing with three broken ribs. James beat him bloody for that. Sirius was a right prat for a while.

"Sirius finally got over his childish hatred of Slytherins, well, Myna, at least. He got to know her, and realized that she wasn't like her housemates.

"She was the one who gave us the idea for the map. Messrs Myna-bird, Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. We thought it was weird to have her be referred to as a 'Messr,' but she said it would look dumb if it was 'Messrs and Miss.'

"She was also an Animagus. Like her middle name implied, she turned into a beautiful eagle. Padfoot thought it would be funny to have her nickname be Myna-bird even though her form was a predator.

"Myna was fiercely protective of us Marauders, even Peter, and hexed the girls who flirted with us, especially her brother, only excluding Lily in seventh year. She made friends with Snape and Lucius Malfoy, but always spent equal amounts of time with Slytherins and Gryffindors alike. She was the only girl in her year in Slytherin, so the boys all catered to her every whim. She was their angel, their friend, their goddess. She also encouraged a lot of inter-house unity. She was so publicly affectionate with us all, Slytherins and Gryffindors were finally able to...not stand one another, but we could be in the same room without hexing them. Mostly.

"She could take on Bellatrix Black, Lucius Malfoy, Snape, and two professional Aurors all together in a duel without breaking a sweat or being at all injured. That was all by the time she was in her fifth year.

"Myna was the best thing that ever happened to us," Remus finished. "She kept us out of major trouble, and also corrected our mistakes. She was our light in our tunnel of darkness. And when she left, we all moped for months; years even, in my case."

Hermione felt for this man, who had lost the love of his life, yet who put on a brave face and pretended nothing was wrong. She was a bit overwhelmed by all the information, so she hugged Remus and left, shutting the door behind her with an almost inaudible click.

She went back to her room and found Ginny asleep. Had she really been listening to Remus that long? Her question was answered when she cast a quick Tempus, learning that was three hours later than when she left.

She yawned and climbed into bed, her mind whirling with the information. She wished she could have met Myna. Was she dead or missing? She'd forgotten to ask Remus. Maybe she could get up early and ask Sirius.

Remus had implicated that Myna had either left or been taken. He had not said, 'when she died,' leading Hermione to hope that the witch Remus loved was still alive.


	4. Mad Dog

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am very, very sorry for the long wait. I've been so busy on Fanfiction.net, I completely forgot about ao3. Sorry! Enjoy the chapter.

_Remus had implicated that Myna had either left or been taken. He had not said, 'when she died,' leading Hermione to hope that the witch Remus and Sirius loved was still alive._

_September 15th, 1995_

Hermione woke early the next day feeling refreshed and ready for a new day being stuck in the house. Apparently, they weren't supposed to leave. Well, actually, _Sirius_ wasn't supposed to leave, so Remus, Harry, Ron, Hermione, the twins, and Ginny (who was only staying because Harry was) had declared that they would keep the poor guy company.

She quickly dressed in jeans and a shirt with cut-out shoulders, trying not to wake Ginny. She grabbed a jacket and tiptoed down the creaky old steps and into the kitchen, where she found Sirius sitting at the table, staring at the wall as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world.

"Good morning," she greeted him quietly.

Sirius had heard her come in with his canine hearing, so he didn't jump when she spoke. "Morning, 'Mione," he said with a large yawn. "How are you?" He didn't give her a chance to respond before going on. "I'm fine. Well, okay, I'm not fine. I'm bored out of my freakin' mind being stuck in this damp, grimy house again."

Hermione set the kettle on with a flick of her wand and sat down beside Sirius. "How would you like to get out?" She asked. "We've been stuck in this house for nearly a week and I'm going crazy trying to keep Ron and Harry from bouncing off the walls from sheer frustration and boredom."

Sirius looked at her. Myna. Hermione was so much like her, but, at the same time, she wasn't. Not yet.

"I would enjoy getting out," he admitted slowly, "but won't you get in trouble for encouraging me?"

Hermione grinned. "That's the great part. When you're a 'know-it-all, goody-two-shoes who never breaks the rules,' it's a piece of cake. When you do break them, people assume it's for a good reason."

Sirius laughed aloud. "That's diabolical! I love it!" He could see how Myna got away with things even James had never accomplished.

"Let's go," Hermione said. She rose and, after a minute's hesitation, Sirius followed her. "I'm going to have to change your appearance. I can glamour you so well, you don't have to worry about it coming off. Only the caster can."

She waved her wand in a complex pattern that Sirius could barely follow. _"Mutata specie ad me inrita!"_ she cried, pointing her wand at Sirius. He still felt like himself, but when Hermione conjured a mirror, he gasped at the sight of himself.

He looked to be around twenty, with short, brown hair that was pointy at the tips with a bit of gel. His light-grey eyes had turned to dark blue ones, and his skin had turned slightly darker. Other than that, he looked normal. If any wizard looked closely, they could tell who he was.

Hermione quickly repeated the spell, ending with her pointing her wand at herself. He stifled a sob when he saw what she looked like. Her hair had turned to wild curls that fell down her back in a cascade of black, her eyes light-grey and mischievous, with flecks of the hazel her brother's had been, and pale skin. She was a female version of James.

Myna.

 _His_ Myna.

"Let's go, Sirius," Hermione said. "Before everyone else wakes up. I want to show you my favorite spot."

"Should we have pseudo-names?" he asked. "So no one recognizes us?"

Hermione thought for a moment. "You can be...um, what do you want to be called?"

"James," he said without thinking about it at all. "And you...I'll call you Myna." He nearly choked on the name, as it hadn't passed his lips for several years.

"Oh, Sirius. Remus told me about her. You don't have to call me that; I can be something else if you want."

"No," Sirius insisted. "It's alright. It's good practice for me." Seeing her puzzled look, he explained, "I haven't said her name for years."

Hermione watched him closely. "Remus told me that you were all close to her, even Peter."

"Let's go," Sirius said. "I'll tell you more on the way."

Sirius held onto Hermione's arm as she (illegally) apparated them. They landed behind a building, and as he peeked around the corner, he realized they were at a beach. A Muggle beach.

"Let's find someplace to sit," he suggested, leading her to a low sea-wall. They sat down, and Sirius began to talk. "I don't know how much Remus told you about Myna, but words alone can't describe her.

"She was our guardian angel, always protecting us, always helping us, always covering for us. Dorea was the boss of the house and another Slytherin, and Myna was her favorite, so we got away with a lot of tricks and pranks that we wouldn't have been able to without her.

"Myna was friendly and helpful. She spent hours at a time in the library. Midway through her first year, she started offering free help with homework to anyone of all ages. At first, people didn't believe that a little girl could help them, especially the older kids, but they learned after she helped Narcissa Black, who was a prefect, with DADA. Cissa got her highest grade of all the years she'd been in the class. People started flocking to Myna, and she helped them all, for free.

"I was out of business. I used to sell my notes and talents —" here Hermione stifled a snort "— for money, but when Myna started her free tutoring, the kids asked Myna for help, not me. I was very mad, and for revenge, I jinxed Myna's wand during her fight in DADA. She got three broken ribs, and a severely bruised ego. James gave me a broken nose for that. We were stuck in the hospital wing in adjacent beds, and we got to know one another better because there was no one else to talk to. When I was let out, I realized that some Slytherins weren't so bad.

"The other girls looked up to her, even the older ones. Not just because she was pretty, or a Potter, but because she was smart, kind, generous, helpful, and gracious. She didn't act like a normal Slytherin, but she had several qualities that we knew must have been what Sorted her into Slytherin.

"She was loyal to her friends, no matter how big of prats we were and no matter how much we pissed her off. During our fourth year, Moony kissed her and then didn't speak to her for two whole weeks. He was nervous, and scared that he might hurt her, but Myna didn't know that. When the full moon came around, a goblet of Wolfsbane potion was sitting on his beside table. She'd made it for him despite his behavior.

"In our fifth year, Myna spent an increasing amount of time with McGonagall and Snape. She called him Severus. We cornered her about it and she said that she spent time with him because he was her friend, and she was with McGonagall because she was McGonagall's apprentice. I hated Snape for that, and ended up doing something so stupid and dangerous Myna didn't speak to me for weeks." He laughed hollowly. Hermione could see his haunted eyes. Now that she knew the story, she could tell that the lurking sadness wasn't just from Azkaban. It was from losing Myna. And, oh, how she despised her, just for causing Sirius pain. "And guess what? She had been McGonagall's apprentice for years. Pretty much ever since first year, I guess.

"Dumbledore, the old fool, didn't see Myna's worth for several years. It was only after she became McGonagall's apprentice that he realized that, despite being a Slytherin, she had gained every teachers' love, trust, and respect.

"She made the best of us come out," Sirius finished. "She was _ours. Ours_ to love, _ours_ to protect, _ours_ to keep safe. And we lost her." A salty drop of water slipped out of his eye, and he closed them as if ashamed of his tears. He turned and buried his face in a surprised Hermione's shoulder.

Hermione patted him on the back and asked, "How did you lose her? Did she die, or was she taken by Death Eaters?"

Sirius sniffed. "She just...disappeared. It was a few months after our graduation. We never saw her again. We searched everywhere. Moony was beside himself, and Lily tried to comfort James. She had never been as close to Myna as we had, although they were the best of friends, but she still knew what it was like to lose a family member and a friend." He sat up and scrubbed his eyes. "Sorry for crying on you," he said sheepishly.

"It's fine," Hermione replied. "I have just one question: why does the Marauders' Map say 'Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs'? Remus told me that Myna was the fifth Marauder and her nickname was Myna-bird."

"Her name disappeared when she did," Sirius answered. "It was like she'd been wiped off the face of the Earth. The only things we had left were our memories. All of our photos vanished. Except for one. Remus has it. Out of all of us, poor Moony took Myna's disappearance the hardest. He locked himself in his room — we shared a flat — for _days._

"Her name even faded from the Black and Potter family tapestries. Her parents were devastated. Myna was always her parent's girl. Teachers' pet."

Sirius started crying again, and Hermione quickly took him around the back of the building and apparated directly to the front step of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!" Molly shrieked when they entered the kitchen, where the entire Order was sitting around the table or leaning against the wall. "WE GOT UP AND YOU WERE GONE! NOT A NOTE, NOT A SINGLE WORD TO ANYONE! DO YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED WE WERE?!" She said all of this in a single breath, leaving her quite winded when she calmed down. "Sirius Orion Black, you have corrupted our Hermione! You took her away and —"

Hermione held up a hand. Sirius had never seen her look so angry, and she looked so much like Myna, it was painful. When she spoke, it was with a forced calm. "Mrs. Weasley, with all due respect, it was actually I who took Sirius away."

"Nonsense!" Moody growled. "Black's have been a terrible influence on these students from Day One."

Cries of agreement sounded from everyone except Snape, who stood silently in the corner, looking like a black shadow, Remus, Harry, Ron, the twins, and Ginny.

Hermione's magic started spiraling out of control. Around her, inanimate objects rose from the counters and the table.

She took a deep breath as if steeling herself for a tirade. "Do you have any idea what being cooped up in a house with annoying teenagers and even more annoying and condescending adults is like? Do you ever think about the singular people who might not like sitting around doing nothing? Sirius has been nothing but a good role-model for Harry, Ginny, Ron, and myself. You know, I'm even thinking he might be a good influence on all of you stuffy, meddlesome old coots!" No one seemed to notice the insult.

Molly tried to interrupt, but Hermione barreled on. "This man is a kind person who has been misunderstood ever since he was wrongfully imprisoned. He is innocent and I doubt he could hurt a fly! Just a little while after being locked up for _twelve fucking years_ for something he didn't even do, he has been shut away in this horrible house of his childhood. If you've had a terrible childhood and can't stand the house you grew up in, raise your hand."

Moody, Dumbledore, Remus, Harry, Sirius, and, to Sirius's surprise, Snape raised their hands.

"Good. Now imagine being stuck in that house for days on end while everyone else gets to go out. How would you feel? Would you feel neglected? Would you feel unwanted? Or would you feel nothing, because you _don't have any feelings_?"

By the time Hermione had finished her rant, everyone in the room was staring at her.

Remus stared at her, his eyes giving away his true feelings. Hunger, sadness... _lust_. He stood up and crossed the kitchen, his soft footsteps the only noise in the silence. He stopped in front of her, grabbed her face in his calloused hands, and kissed her hard on the mouth. Hermione was so surprised, she dropped all the objects floating in midair, causing them to fall to the floor. There were a few crashes that meant there had been a few dishes, but she didn't care.

Remus had kissed her.

And she had _enjoyed_ it.

**A/N: I hope this doesn't sound too much like Kittenshift17's chapter from her time-travel story. If it does, I apologize.**

**Ok, for those of you who bother looking this stuff up, I apologize for making James and Myna's mother Dorea Potter (née Black). I know that his real parents are named Fleamont and Euphemia, but I decided against making it as such. It would ruin too many things in the story.**

**Leave a review. They make me update faster!**

**~ Via**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My Fanfiction.net username changed, as did the one here. It is now "slytherclw-shdwhntr-46" on FF.net, and, as you can probably see here, the dashes are underlines on ao3.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: You can find more of this story either on FF.net under Divergent4Everdeen, or at Wattpad under ViaVickyRocks. Just to let you know, there's more on the former. I'll try to update this story regularly, but if you want to read more, go to FF.net (I update every Sunday).


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